Alphabet for Rilorian
by alluras-castle
Summary: A series of 26 one-shots for Rilienus/Dorian, one for each letter of the Alphabet. Fan-take on Rilienus, AUs and Altered Canon. M for smut in some "chapters" - warnings for each one included. 3. Cuddles
1. Adoration

_Alphabet one-shots for Rilienus/Dorian. Fan-take on a mentioned-only Canon Character._

 _1\. Adoration._

 _Warnings: Fluff(?), short first chapter. Modern AU or Thedas._

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Dorian loved his curls so much - he adored them, and the man they belonged to, from the bottom of his heart.

Rilienus' skin was tan, "like fine whiskey" Dorian always said - a dark caramel tone that his eyes could never tire of drinking in... his hair was a dark chocolate brown, wavy and curly, cut at a medium length. Soft and fluffy, those curls were usually combed into tameness...

He loved messing them up, the look of indignation those dark, deep amber eyes gave him, the quiet huff through flared nostrils he was given. Even so, he knew Rilienus liked his hair being played with. Dorian supposed there was difference between ruffling the curls and threading his fingers through them, and a difference between Rilienus sitting beside him or standing - always a couple inches shorter than him - and leaning on him, or sprawling over the couch with his head resting on Dorian's lap, or sitting just in front of him - though Dorian was usually brushing tangles out of those same tresses and his legs were around Rilienus' waist, loosely, to keep him in place.

And then there was Rilienus' smile, the way his lips curled when it was a real, genuine one. Dorian usually kissed him fiercely, and how could he not? Those lips were purely kissable, and Rilienus was an excellent kisser. His eyelashes were absurdly long, the envy of many women, and felt, well, ticklish against Dorian's cheek when the other man purposefully batted them.

Those kisses were all smiles and warm laughs.

A happy sigh escaped the set of lips Dorian was thinking off, and he turned his timber wolf gray eyes down to examine Rilienus. His eyes, heavy-lidded with his lashes brushing his high-cheekbones, were fixed on Dorian's features, mouth curved gently into a smile.

Dorian smiled in return, mouth stretching upwards of their own violation.

"What are you thinking about..." his voice was smooth and pleasant, and warm.

Dorian felt like he could drown in it, in complete bliss. He wondered if Rilienus felt the same about _his_ voice. Could he ask that? Rilienus' sketchbook was closed, and he was setting it aside on the coffee table. _He could ask._

The pause was brief, despite the thoughts racing through his mind and the speeding if his heart in anticipation. In less than a heartbeat, Rilienus' expression had turned shy, amd his voice carrying undertones of tentativeness and boldness in equal amounts. "...Amatus?"

Warmth flooded through him - _Maker, I'm going to drown in this feeling,_ he thought... no, promised - and his features melted tenderly. He stroked the side of his lover's head, through his hair.

His mind worked for a good answer. He could ask, but how should he?

Certainly, he couldn't just blurt it. Perhaps-

Rilienus' fingertips touched his jaw lightly, caressing their way upwards. Dorian kissed at the palm of his left - and dominant, another trait Dorian adored, and it was one his lover was very self-conscious and insecure about, sadly - hand.

The words almost said themselves, almost possessed his tongue. _I love you._

"I adore you," he said instead.

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 _While these are in alphabetical order, they aren't exactly chronological. Some "chapters" will be longer than others. And, thank you for reading. If you have any questions, feel free to ask, and please - Review._


	2. Baths

_Alphabet one-shots for Rilienus/Dorian. Fan-take on a mentioned-only Canon Character._

 _2\. Baths_

 _Warnings: Character nudity, fluff(?), no smut. Modern AU_

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Maevaris Tilani had once described them as "hot-house orchids."

In Rilienus' mind, this was very accurate. He _wilted_ in the cold, and even the fairly short walk from the café - the "Little Thyme Café" - he worked at as a barista, who doodled in the drinks with various syrups no less, back to his and Dorian's apartment left him shivering.

Dorian slid into the hot, bubble-filled water behind Rilienus, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him back to recline.

The heat, Rilienus loved. _Loved._ The room was like a sauna, with the steam curling in the room, fogging up the mirrors and collecting moisture on the sink, counter - any cool surface.

The fan was off, making such concentrated heat possible.

Rilienus snuggled back against Dorian, getting comfortable. The water lapped at the rather spacious tub, and the foamy white bubbles clung to their bodies.

Hot bubble baths with Dorian were the best pick-me-ups after walking in the cold.

"I could wash your hair for you," Dorian offered. "And your back, if you'd like."

Rilienus smiled and leaned against him more, tilting his head back on his lover's shoulder.

They had done this a dozen times. Most of the time, Dorian washed his hair and back, then Rilienus washed Dorian's hair and back for him. They'd sometimes rearrange themselves twice, so that Dorian was the one leaning against the porcelain of the tub once more. Other times they finished washing themselves and sat across from each other until they were ready to rinse the suds off of them - then, they would drain the tub and turn the shower head on. The warm foggy steam that would have collected in the air by then would help keep the cold from nipping at them.

This time was no exception.

Dorian grabbed the elegant ceramic pitcher and scooped the bath water into it; Rilienus relaxed and closed his eyes in preparation for the water pouring over his head, draining through his curls.

Dorian massaged his scalp and hair, coercing the water to thoroughly soak his dark chocolate tresses. Rilienus was unable to help his contented sigh as he leaned into his gloriously mind-numbing touch. Nor could he prevent himself from melting further against Dorian's warm body.

The man let out a soft chuckle and paused. Rilienus heard the waters of the tub lap again, followed quickly by the sound of a cap popping open.

A moment later - still with his eyes closed - he felt the gel substance of his shampoo on his head, the coolness of it a contrast to the warmness of the water and Dorian, and the steamy air. A shiver traced down his spine, but it wasn't unlikable; especially when he felt Dorian's fingers return to his scalp and hair, taking care to coat all of his curls in the vanilla-scented shampoo.

When Dorian gently pushed down on his shoulders, he slid easily down and under the water, holding his breath. Dorian ruffled his hair, rinsing many, but not all of, the soapy suds out.

Rilienus un-submerged from the water, shaking his head and bringing a hand up to wipe the water - and his hair - away from his eyes.

He turned his head and spied Dorian smiling fondly at him, before leaning once more to grab the conditioner. Rilienus would need considerably more of _that_ than he did shampoo itself. It helped keep his hair from getting tangled nearly as much.

They repeated the action - Rilienus with his eyes closed, Dorian rubbing the fluffy gel of the conditioner in, then gently pushing Rilienus down under the water to rinse much of it out. It was a cycle they had gone through more times than either of them could count, or cared to, in the past.

"Would you like me to wash your back?" It was more of a formality that Dorian ask, when their routine would guide him to the next "task": back washing.

But Rilienus shook his head and twisted around.

"Might I wash _your_ hair first?" he asked, threading his fingers through the much shorter strands of his lover's.

Dorian quirked a brown, but leaned back against the tub, resting his arms on its lip. With his off-hand, he gestured, "As you wish." his voice was amused - it always sounded as such save for the most vulnerable or angered occasions - and the sound of it was enough to bring a smile to his lips.

Idly, he mused that their fathers - and families in general, he supposed - would be horrified at this scene. Then again, there was a reason neither of them were _there,_ back "home" with _them._

Rilienus turned around, sending the water and bubbles lapping even more, and leaned in close.

As they kissed slowly, lips languid and warm against each other, he reached for Dorian's shampoo and conditioner, conveniently bottled together.

When they left the bath, having finished washing one another and themselves and rinsed themselves off, they could hardly keep their lips separated and hands off of each other...

But that was how all but the laziest of baths ended.

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 _I didn't want this chapter to get much longer, but I slip into Rilienus' POV very well and I could have easily made this ~2k words. Thank you for reading, and please Review!_


	3. Cuddles

_Alphabet one-shots for Rilienus/Dorian. Fan-take on a mentioned-only Canon Character._

 _3\. Cuddles_

 _Warnings: Fluff(?). Modern AU or Thedas._

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Mornings were havens of warmth, limbs entangled and bodies pressed close.

"Mm."

Dorian shifted, hand brushing Rilienus' bare back, subconsciously tracing the tattoo there. "Waking up finally, are you?" The other man asked, voice amused save for the small yawn that followed it.

Dorian cracked open an eye, lips pulling into a small smile. "You sound tired."

His lover's initial response was to snuggle down and closer. After a moment and a quiet chuckle from Dorian, the other man mumbled, "It's snowing. It never snowed this much... _there."_ Not _'home,'_ but _'there.'_

"Is it really?"

He wished he could say he was surprised, but Winter was... reluctant to leave. Even though _Wintersend,_ the holiday for saying _"goodbye, insufferable cold!",_ had already been celebrated. It was wonderful, really, or so Dorian would drawl sarcastically.

A disgruntled noise from Rilienus was his answer, and he sighed.

He could have teased Rilienus about the snow and his upcoming nameday, a day which he wasn't enthused about to begin with, towards the end of Pluitanis, or "Guardian." In many scenarios, that would have lightened the mood just as well as Rilienus joking about Dorian's "perfect hair" when he - Dorian - had "bad" hair days. _"It's only fair, since it's always so stylish."_ "Fair" indeed.

Instead, he craned his head to look out the window, and was greeted with big, fluffy, white snowflakes. He stared, contemplating.

There was a way he could make this a good thing.

It was a weekend, so neither of them had work. And with no work, they had no reason to go anywhere - the cold was a convenient excuse to stay indoors...

"Well, that's convenient," Dorian settled on, tracing the wing of his lover's tattoo over his spine.

Rilienus shivered a little, he assumed from the caress' sensation, and asked, "How so?" His voice was half-disgruntled as he did so, half... something else rather tender. Maybe even a touch flirtatious and expecting.

"Mm, well, Rilienus, it just so happens _neither_ of us have any obligations to be anywhere." Dorian smirked lopsidedly, even knowing Rilienus couldn't see it. His fingers glided upwards, towards his shoulder.

"Oh?" Rilienus inquired, voice intrigued and ever-so-slightly breathless. Caresses did that to him.

Dorian, rather reluctantly, scooted back; Rilienus let him, pouting a little. He, himself, missed the warmth of his lover snuggling close, arms draped over his waist and hugging him tightly.

Then, he pulled the blanket, wadding it up in his arms - Rilienus glaring at him for it - and stood with a wink - a huff from the man was the response to _that,_ in particular. Regardless, Rilienus slid off of the bed and searched for one of his shirts.

Dorian snorted, "Completely unnecessary, Amatus."

He heard the other man pause, then abandon his search to follow him out to the living room. The apartment was a bit nippy - Dorian would have to turn the heat up in a minute... once he got Rilienus settled on the wide-seated couch.

Dorian dumped the blankets on the foot of the piece of furniture, and turned to regard the man in question.

Garbed only in his dark plum pajama bottoms, with his hair ruffled and goosebumps on his arms - never mind his hard nipples - looked very much cold and displeased about the fact. Dorian would admit to feeling completely unapologetic. Rilienus' look of discontentment was rather endearing.

"Get comfortable - I'll return in a minute."

His lover's stare was rather indignant, but he complied regardless.

Dorian traveled down the hall to the thermostat. The chilliness of their apartment was unacceptable.

When he returned to the living room, Rilienus was burrowed under the thick comforters and the television turned on. He idly flipped through the channels, looking bored. Nothing worthwhile must have been on. No matter.

His lover was scooted against the couch's back, leaving more than enough room for Dorian to join him.

"Nothing interesting on, Amatus?" Once, Dorian would have been shy saying it even in private. The word came more comfortably now, but the smile that curled Rilienus' lips wasn't any less joyed.

"Not really," he responded, drawling slightly. "Amatus."

It was Dorian's turn to smile dumbly, and stare affectionately. His lover returned the look, eyes heavy-lidded.

It was only a minute later he remembered to crawl under the blankets with him, on the couch. Immediately, their legs were a tangled mess, used to lever each other closer, and they were forehead-to-forehead, noses brushing softly.

Lazy, sloppy morning kisses followed. Rilienus placed a few on his mustache, and Dorian sighed a little. His bristles were messy; but his huff only made his lover chuckle and place a few more there.

Dorian couldn't say he truly minded; the morning was especially a haven of warmth.

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 _I had debated doing "Cinnamon" for C, but I liked "Cuddles" more._ _Thank you for reading, and please leave a Review!_


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